Motor vehicle

Usually a car, truck, motorbike, tractor, caravan or trailer.

A motor vehicle must have a vehicle identification number (VIN), chassis number or manufacturer’s number.

It is self-propelled property:

• built to travel wholly on land,
• capable of at least 10km/h, AND
• with one or more motors with total power greater than 200W.

It can also be:

• machinery or equipment with wheels built to be towed at more than 10km/h (e.g. a trailer).

If the property runs on rails, tram lines or other fixed path it is not defined as a motor vehicle.

Before 1 July 2014

The law changed on 1 July 2014 to narrow the definition of a motor vehicle.

 Under the old definition, a motor vehicle had to:

• be capable of at least 10km/h, OR
• have one or more motors that have a total power greater than 200W.

Under the new definition, a motor vehicle must have both of these characteristics.

For more information, see regulation 1.7 of the Personal Property Securities Regulations 2010.